Heavy in Your Arms
by Trinity Harkness
Summary: An FBI agent escapes after being captured and held captive by the person she's been after. Jack Crawford sends her to see a psychiatrist to be sure she's capable of returning to active duty before sending her out to aid Will Graham. Her appointed psychiatrist seems to be intrigued by her self-put isolation. Little did she realize that Hannibal is more than anyone expected. OC story


_Come on… keep running! You can't afford to stop now… NO! Don't look back… you know what'll happen if you do; you look back now and you're dead. Just focus on what's in front of you and just. Keep. Running._

Mina's head urges her forward, keeping her goal in mind even though her legs protest with every move she makes. A dull throbbing pain pulses near her temples; blood pounds in her ears. Her bare feet don't even register the incessant stabbing of sharp rocks and branches since they've already been cut to ribbons. She desperately tries to merely gasp in a breath of the ice cold night air, but it proves to be an impossible task at the speed she's going. She doesn't even attempt to slow down to quench the fire burning in her lungs; she's been held captive for five days now; now is her time to escape.

Mina closes her eyes briefly in an attempt to block out the pain spreading throughout her body. When she reopens them, a bright blinding light causes her to take an abrupt halt, making her stumble. _No! Keep running! If you're caught this time, there is no escape; you'll die in that house. _She picks up her fast pace again and sprint away from the light, heading slightly towards her left. The fierce howling of the wind and the thumping in her ears drowns out the shouts of the figure holding the flashlight in the distance. When the voice in her head tells her that her pursuer is gone, a pair of strong arms pins her to the ground.

"No! No! Let me go!" she shrieks, voice hoarse; she flails around madly, trying to break away from the figure's strong grip.

"Mina… Mina! Calm down; it's Jack." the figure says as he struggles to hold her still.

Her wild thrashing slowly subsides as the latter part of the statement registers in the rational part of her mind. Mina Harkness raises her head to see the face of her boss, Jack Crawford. She manages to choke back a joyful sob, replacing it with a simple gasp instead. The impact of the sudden rush of air into her inflamed lungs causes her to cough violently, shaking in Jack's arms.

"It's alright, Mina; you're alright," he tells her, "We've found her! Spread out and search; the house can't be too far away."

Mina manages to lift a finger in the direction she fled from. Jack watches as her whole body trembles. She whispers to him, "It's about a half mile… that direction," before passing out.

Jack sighs, secretly grateful that they've found his missing agent. He picks up Mina's currently fragile body and carries her over to the vehicles lined up in a hap-hazard semi-circle. A young recruit makes his way over to Jack, a cell phone in his hand. He hastily opens the door of the nearest car for Jack as he carefully sets Mina down on the back seats.

"I just called for an ambulance. It should be here soon." the recruit tells him. Jack simply nods, the lack of sleep over the past few days catching up with him. He feels a hand on his arm. He raises his head to look at the boy. "She's gonna be alright, Sir. We all know how tough she is."

"That she is. What would we do without her telling us to hurry up with an investigation; the smartass that she is," he lets out a dry, emotionless chuckle. He glances over at the young man next to him and asks, "It's Burkhart, isn't it?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Hm… How long have you been on the force?"

"Almost a year now."

Jack purses his lips. "Just stay here to help when the paramedics show up. You can go rushing into danger on the next one, alright?"

"Alright, Sir."

Burkhart stands next to Jack as they wait for the ambulance to arrive. Jack places his hand on top of the open door and mutters softly, "You better make it through, Mina… Lord knows we need you know."

* * *

Wilhelmina Harkness sits cross-legged on the seemly comfortable hospital bed, messing with a piece of her auburn hair. She's been in this position for nearly an hour since the nurses refuse to discharge her. Mina has been in the hospital for almost five days; the first three of them are a blur, for she was unconscious for the majority of that time.

The extents of her injuries are not as severe as they could be, but they still don't look pleasant. A jagged cut lies against her cheek bone down to her jaw, leaving a faint pink mark; a long gash trails from her collar bone crossing over her chest to just above her right breast. Many small cuts mark up her arms; she chooses to merely ignore them, well aware of the fact that they'll disappear in about a week or so. A bruise covers a section of her right shoulder from where she was initially hit; both of her feet are bandaged from the tiny gashes she received during her escape. Mina chooses to ignore all of her injuries, understanding that no good will come from fretting over them.

A soft knock at the door causes Mina to slowly fade out of her reverie and stare at the doorway. A small grin graces her pale pink lips as she sees Jack enter the room. He closes the door before moving to the foot of the bed.

"Hey, Jack." she greets.

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

"I'm alright. Obviously, I've been better." He grimaces. "I'm bored out of my mind, though… they refuse to let me leave."

She crosses her arms indignantly. Jack mimics her motions, the bag in his right hand rustling with the movement. Mina's eyebrow arches with curiosity. "What so you have there, Jack?"

He glances down at the blue-hued plastic bag. "A set of clothes. They're from your house. I had an agent go there to grab them for you; I figured you'd like to be out of the hospital garb."

"Thanks; you're right about wanting out of these clothes… However, that's still not a ticket out of here." she pouts.

Jack smirks at his slightly unhappy agent. "I can get you out of here, Mina."

"How?" she looks at him, not convinced.

"I know you well enough to know that you want to jump back in the field as soon as possible; however, I need to be sure that you're fit to go back out there… You'd need to have a psych-"

"A psych eval? Seriously? That's your bargaining chip: I get to leave if I get one?" Anger flairs openly in her grass green eyes.

"Mina, being kidnapped isn't just an everyday event that you go through. I need to be sure that you're okay."

"I _am_, Jack. Besides, a psych eval is your go-to plan."

"Mina, you either do this and leave today, or wait to leave until they clear you." he sighs, ignoring her comment.

"Jack, we both know damn well that you'll still make me go _after_ they clear me." she growls.

"Then, why not get it over with?" he replies smugly.

"Why are you so eager to get me back, anyway? You aren't usually this adamant about getting an agent back."

Jack draws in a sharp intake of breath, debating on whether or not to explain the _real_ reason or simply wait to inform her until after she's cleared. He sighs softly as he takes a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Another girl was taken, Mina. She matches the same characteristics of the other victims… I've asked Will to aid us in the investigation."

"Will? As in 'Will Graham'?"

He nods. "I know you've worked together before, however brief; you understand his methods far better than I do. That's why I _need_ you back."

Mina half smirks, "And here I was, thinking you simply wanted me back 'cause I'm your best agent."

"Well, there's that, too." he smiles.

Mina chuckles dryly, taking all of the facts and stipulations into consideration. She leans her head back until it hits the soft pillows, the only comfortable object on the bed, sighing while she thinks. Jack hears her growl softly as she holds out her hand. He smirks openly at her decision and hands her the bag of clothes.

"Who are you sending me to?" she mumbles.

"Doctor Hannibal Lecter."

"Why not… oh, what's her face... Bloom? I thought she was supposed to be the best."

"Lecter taught her."

"Ah… so, I'll be meeting him as soon as I change out of these awful hospital-mandated clothes?"

"Yeah. I'll meet you out in the lobby."

"Alright. At least there is an upside to this horrible ordeal I have to suffer through," she says as Jack heads towards the door. He turns back around to face her, hand placed on the door handle.

"What's that, Mina?"

"I'm allowed to leave," she replies simply, "You know how much I hate hospitals, Jack."

He laughs lightly at her statement, earning a glare from her as he leaves the room, letting her change. He makes his way to the front desk to have his agent discharged.

* * *

A now free Mina Harkness sits impatiently in one of the overly-comfortable chairs in Doctor Lecter's waiting room. She fidgets noticeably with a look of discomfort displayed upon her face. Out of habit, her jeweled eyes continuously scan the clock mounted on the wall, only to find that it still hasn't reached three o'clock yet. She groans softly, sounding louder than intended in the quiet room, and sinks lower into the chair.

Jack had dropped her off at a quarter to three; saying that he had to work on the case, but promising to pick her up after her session. _Probably just doesn't want to wait for me._ She immediately grimaces at the thought, feeling ashamed for the selfish thought. _He's trying to find a young girl whose life might still be with us._ She runs her hand through her thick locks of hair with a frustrated sigh. She stands up and turns to the door to leave.

"To hell with this… I need to help them find her." she mutters.

She walks to the door and places her hand on the doorknob when the door behind her swings open. A woman in her mid-forties hurries out of the room, a tissue clutched tightly in her hand, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks. The distressed woman barely gives Mina a second glance as she rushes out. Mina's gaze slowly returns to the open doorway, which is now occupied by a tall figure.

A man in a dark teal, three-piece suit stands firmly in the entrance way. His chocolate brown hair is neatly slicked back to the left side of his narrow face. Calculating brown eyes look over Mina, taking in every detail of her appearance, taking note of her obvious injuries. A small smirk graces his thin lips.

"Agent Harkness, I presume." he says, a distinct accent in his voice.

Mina slowly makes her way over to him, limping as she walks and crosses her arms. "That I am. You must be Doctor Lecter."

He simply nods, confirming something she already knew. She glances down at her casual attire of a gray long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and her boots and then turns her gaze onto his formal wear. She shifts her weight between her feet, wincing at the slight pain that she forgot was there. She looks up at him, "I'm afraid I came underdressed." She grins sheepishly, "Jack told me that you are an excellent psychiatrist… he never once mentioned your impeccable taste in style."

He smiles politely, the flattery not at all affecting him, "You look just fine, Agent Harkness." Mina furrows her brow as her gaze drops. "Would you care to come in?"

_No, not particularly. Can we just skip this and call it a day?_ She holds back her initial response and simply nods instead. Doctor Lecter stands aside to allow her to step in. Mina swallows uneasily and steps over the threshold; Lecter takes note of her extremely noticeable limp. She takes a mere three steps before stopping mid-stride, completely in awe of the room she walked into.

The single room consists of a high ceiling, allowing it to become double-storied. The walls of the second story are covered in bookshelves; no space is left open on the shelves. Small statues and various paintings are placed throughout the bottom part of the room. A solitary wooden desk sits in the middle of the room; two black leather chairs face each other in front of the desk. A couch is perched against one of the walls, and another desk is in one of the corners of the room under an alcove. Mina's wide eyes take in every detail, unsure of what to focus on. She walks along the walls, studying the pictures and few of the statues along her route. Doctor Lecter leans against his desk, his dark eyes following her every move.

"So, are you going to ask me questions about my childhood? Is that how this works?" she asks.

"You're here for me to determine if you are fully capable of returning to the field. Childhood events do not need to be told here, unless you want them to be factored in." he answers.

"Alright," she mumbles, "What do you think? I assume you've been informed of what happened to me over the last two weeks."

Lecter watches as the young agent climbs up the ladder that leads up to the second level of the room; pain seems to be evident on her face due to her feet. She keeps her eyes on the books; trying to ignore the painfully throbbing that comes from the cuts on her feet.

"Jack told me a great deal about you, Agent Harkness-"

"Mina. Please call me Mina." she interrupts, green eyes still on the books.

Lecter's lips twitch in irritation. "From what I could infer, _Mina_, you're always on your guard. What made this one occurrence so different?"

She takes in a sharp intake of breath as she visibly stiffens, memories of her capture resurfacing. She turns away from the books to look down at the good doctor; she leans her forearms against the railing.

"What was different? The profile... the profile we built for our kidnapper. It's the reason I foolishly allowed my guard to fall. I wasn't expecting it... none of us were." she says softly.

"You weren't expecting what, Mina?"

"That the person we were looking for was a woman. My kidnapper - and the murderer of the other kidnapped victims - was female." she tells him, angry with herself, "We all had suspected that the person we were searching for was male. We had located the state and narrowed the search down to a town; we were so close to catching him, to finally put an end to the murders. Well, I would've never thought that our _him_ was really a _her_. That's how I was taken."

"What made you believe that the person you were searching for was a man?"

"Everything!" she exclaims with a dry laugh. "All of the evidence suggested that it was a man. The way the victims were tortured; the way they were murdered; the way they were kidnapped; every-damn-thing!" She sighs exasperatedly as she sweeps a hand through her crimson hair. "I should've been on edge with everyone. I won't be making that mistake again."

Lecter watches her head fall into her hands as she emits a small sigh. His eyes fall upon the unsigned paper resting on his desk. He grabs one of the pens beside him and gracefully signs his signature at the bottom. He returns his gaze to Mina, only to find her grassy green eyes staring at him with curiosity. Her eyes trail to the recently signed piece of paper then back to Lecter, her lips laced into a smirk.

"So, what's the verdict?" she jokes.

"I see no reason to keep you out of the field. You seem to have a stable mind despite the events you've endured."

She purses her lips and steps away from the railing; her attention returns to the books. Lecter's eyes never stray from her. "So, that's it? That's what I came here for?"

"For the most part, yes. Jack wanted me to determine if you were fit to immediately return to active duty," he explains, "Although, there is one other matter I'd like to discuss with you, Mina."

"Hm?"

"Would I be able to look at the file regarding your female kidnapper; to shed some light in areas where you may have missed a hint in identification... not that I doubt your capabilities."

Mina smirks, back still turned to Lecter. "I'll see what I can do; I don't think Jack'll be too opposed to the idea. He may already want your opinion on it; he speaks highly of you." She pauses before continuing with, "How long was this supposed to take; our 'session'?"

"An hour."

"We've only been here a mere fraction of the time... how can you evaluate someone in that amount of time?"

"I began my evaluation on you the moment Jack came to me, requesting that I give my professional opinion on you. So, I've been determining whether or not you're fit to return for about a day."

"He talked to you yesterday about this?"

"Yes."

"Jeez, Jack. You couldn't wait until I was out of the hospital?" she mutters to herself. _You son of a bitch; you do this _every_ time._

__"What is wrong, Mina?"

"Oh, nothing. I was simple commenting on Jack's continuity... that's all," she glances over the various titles lining the shelves in front of her. Mina turns to look at Lecter. "Have you read all of these?"

"Yes. However, some of the various subjects do repeat after a time." he replies.

"Someone has a lot of free time." she chuckles.

Mina's eyes travel amongst the different volumes as she heads back towards the ladder; her mind wondering what knowledge they contain within their pages. She slowly descends down the steps to the ground floor of the room. Doctor Lecter crosses over to the ladder to offer her a hand to steady herself as she reaches the bottom. She stumbles a bit and sends him an appreciative smile as he helps her stand. He returns the gesture with a smile of his own and watches as she continues to go around the room, taking in every detail.

"So, since you've been so kind as to say that I have no mental prob – scratch that – that I'm 'capable' of returning to my job, are we going to continue to have these sessions?"

"I'd like for you to return when this case is over. Other than that, no; there is no further need for us to continue with these sessions. However, if you ever need a second opinion – or simply someone to talk to – feel free to come to me."

She nods, satisfied with the answer she received. _At least there is only one more _mandatory _meeting; I never actually have to return. _She hobbles over to the long wooden table in the corner of the room; a pile of papers cover the length of it. Upon further inspection, Mina realizes that they're detailed depictions of European architecture. Without turning to Lecter, she browses through the drawings carefully, not wanting to tear them, and asks, "Did you make these yourself, Doctor?"

"All from memory," he confirms, "You may call me Hannibal, Mina."

"That's quite a mind you've got there, _Hannibal_." she replies, leafing through the pages absentmindedly.

"You don't enjoy psychological evaluations."

Mina notes that it's a statement, not a question that Hannibal poses. She turns around to face him, her palms on the table now behind her. "I'm not a fan of therapy, and, if I'm going to be honest here, I don't like hospitals either."

"Traumatic childhood event?"

"Not exactly," she sighs as she goes to observe the statues she missed earlier. Her focus latches onto the dark elk on a platform in an attempt to draw the topic of interest away from her.

Hannibal makes no comment as she chooses to avoid any conversation involving her as the subject of interest. His well-hidden curiosity continues to peak as his gaze follows her throughout the room. He doesn't pressure Mina for the information, well aware that he'll find out more about her in time; either from her or Jack. He'd prefer in to be from Mina herself.

Her interest in the objects in the room dwindles as her walkthrough comes to an end. She sighs softly as she heads for one of the black chairs in the center on the room; all the while fully aware of Hannibal's watchful eyes upon her. Hannibal remains where he is; leaning against his desk, palms resting on the edge on the wood; his focus remaining on the female agent in front of him.

"I do hope that you don't expect me to open up to you completely, Hannibal," she begins softly, her gaze on the floor in front of her. "My life story is not a pleasant one, nor one that I tell often. Most people associate myself with don't even know half of it."

No response comes from the good doctor; he listens intently, knowing she's not done with her statement.

"I really could care less about the fact that you have a doctorate; Jack's my boss, and he doesn't know everything. You have to earn the right to know all the facts. You may not appreciate it that I'm not telling you all about myself and what I've gone through. But I highly doubt that you've told _your_ life story to someone; we all have things that we want to keep to ourselves, and we all have out reasons why."

Hannibal smirks, thrilled to learn that Mina will continue to prove to be a challenge. _All the more reason to keep her alive… for now; how… intriguing it will be if she were the one to figure it out._ He slowly takes a seat in the other chair opposite her, causing Mina to look up, meeting a pair of smirking brown eyes tinted with a dark maroon. He causally places his left ankle on his right leg as he tells her, "I wouldn't expect it to be any other way, _Mina_."

* * *

**So, dearies, how was it? I've had this written out for a while now... I think it's been sitting in a binder since the second episode aired. I don't know if I'll continue it, and if I do, it'll be a while before I update. It's up to you guys whether I continue or not. If you want more, comment or follow/favorite it.**

**Do you like Mina(she hates her birth name: Wilhelmina)? She's got an interesting backstory and darling Hannibal seems to be quite intrigued. Let me know if I should continue and whether or not you like it.**

**Lots of Love,**

**~Trinity**


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